The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined a Phoenix, Ariz., paint and hazardous chemical storage and repackaging company $23,800 for violating the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
Delaware-based Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc. failed to submit emergency and hazardous chemical inventory forms to local and state emergency planning and response teams in 2005 and 2006 for paints, coatings and hazardous chemical mixtures stored at its warehouse, located at 2639 North 31st Avenue.
“Submitting accurate records of hazardous chemicals is crucial information when preparing for a potential emergency response,” said Dan Meer, chief of the emergency response and preparedness branch for the Pacific Southwest region. “Keeping local and state emergency response teams informed helps to minimize damage to human health and the environment in the event of an emergency.”
Hazardous mixtures stored at the warehouse included lacquers/clears, stains/glazes, liquid non-stick, and thinners/reducers. The EPA discovered the violations during a 2007 inspection of the facility.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act requires certain facilities annually submit material safety data sheets and chemical inventory forms to local and state emergency planning and response agencies to help these agencies respond in the event of a spill or release.
For more information on the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, visit http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/lcra.html.